Best treatment for bile duct stones
Disease description:
I was diagnosed with bile duct stones this week, and I'm concerned about my health. I would like to ask, what is the best treatment for bile duct stones?
There is no single optimal treatment method for bile duct stones; the choice depends on the individual patient's condition. The main treatment options include:
1. **Medical treatment**: Applicable to patients with small, asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic bile duct stones. Oral medications such as Danning Granules or compound bile acids can increase bile acid content in the biliary tract, promoting the dissolution and excretion of stones.
2. **Endoscopic stone removal**: Such as ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) stone extraction, a minimally invasive procedure. Under gastroscopic and X-ray guidance, the endoscope is introduced into the duodenal papilla and then into the bile duct, where specialized instruments are used to remove the stones. This method is suitable for most patients with bile duct stones.
3. **Surgical treatment**: Required for complex bile duct stones, concurrent biliary tract inflammation, or malignant transformation.